


Make Me Up Inside

by Denois



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 4.8 didn't happen, Bets, Getting Together, M/M, MUA!Nursey, Makeup Challenge, Vicky Poindexter is a meddler, author has no opinions on the makeup brands mentioned, mua!Dex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21729775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: The first time Dex applied makeup to someone else, he was twelve. At eighteen, he started working at the makeup counter at Macy's.The first time Nursey put on makeup, he was sixteen. At seventeen, he started a MUA insta.Their Junior year, Dex learns about Nursey's insta and Nursey's followers demand a "my d-man does my makeup" video.What's the worst that could happen?
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 30
Kudos: 408





	Make Me Up Inside

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to [draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis) for the beta.  
> Thank you to [Frizzy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/b_frizzy) for helping me figure out which makeup looks to use and telling me which ones were as impressive as they seemed to me.
> 
> This has been in progress for so long, and then it sat waiting in my wip folders. But it's here now and I hope you all like it.

The first time Dex applied makeup to someone else, he was twelve. Vicky had tossed aside the makeup kit that she’d been given for their birthday almost as soon as she’d opened it. Well, once they were in the privacy of their own rooms because she wasn’t ungrateful, she just didn’t have any interest in it. 

Dex had sat down in her room to consider it. It was one of the nicer ones, meaning there were a lot of color options and actual eyeliner pencils, brushes, and sponges included. Plus, it had its own carry case. 

He couldn’t take it to his room. Not while he still shared with Mike. “D’ya mind if I mess around with this? I wanna figure it out.”

He didn’t look up, but he knew Vicky was looking at him, assessing him. “Do what you want.”

“Can I keep it in here though? Only, it’s supposed to be your gift.” He trailed off. He wasn’t fooling her, they both knew why he didn’t want to take it to his room.

“On one condition. If you figure it all out, you’ve gotta do my makeup whenever I want to look girly.”

Dex looked up at her then, meeting her solemn gaze. He couldn’t imagine her ever wanting to wear makeup, so it seemed a perfectly safe thing to agree to. 

Two months later he did her makeup for Christmas. It was light and neutral. The family cooed about how grown up she looked, and she didn’t hate it for being too girly. No one suspected that Dex had helped. 

Five years later, he did her makeup for prom. It was dramatic, with a smokey eye and a firm contour to highlight her cheeks. The lipstick didn’t smudge even when she’d disappeared with her girlfriend for over an hour.

Three years after that, he was a junior at Samwell and had been working at the MAC counter in Macy’s for two years. It paid twice as much as the campus job he’d taken the first semester--more, even, than working for any of his uncles--so it made sense. 

Plus, he made people feel good about themselves. He liked that. The first few months that he’d worked there, he was still talking with Shitty and Nursey about various issues on a regular basis. He thought it was Shitty who brought up the fact that wearing makeup wasn’t really a choice for women because they’re punished by society for not conforming. Eventually he’d had to settle for affirmations to the young people he helped that even if sharp eyeliner wouldn’t bring down the patriarchy, maybe it could help them get to a position where they could dismantle it by hand. 

All in all, makeup was just a thing that was. He was good at putting it on other people. He was decent at putting it on himself, but he wanted to do that about as often as Vicky wanted him to put it on her, so it just never came up.

* * *

The first time Nursey put on makeup, he was sixteen. He’d been reviewing for an exam with Anne from his AP Literature class when she’d held up a tube of lip color and raised a brow. He’d shrugged because he knew that she liked to occupy her hands while she reviewed or she couldn’t concentrate on the information. In the end, she’d applied lipstick, highlighter, and blush. 

“Not supposed to share eye makeup. Would love to make those beauties pop.” Her voice was wistful as she’d packed the liners and mascaras away.

In the privacy of his own room that night, he’d stared at himself for fifteen minutes before pulling up the Sephora website and ordering a ton of products. He spent the rest of the night watching makeup artists on YouTube. 

Two weeks later, he started videoing himself to compare to the tutorials he watched. Three months later he started posting pictures to his insta showing his #makeupoftheday for #boyswhowearmakeup. 

One year later, Derek_RN debuted on insta and he started giving advice and making tutorials of his own. By the time he was a junior at Samwell, he had over 50k followers as Derek_RN and kept to a strict update schedule. 

Three weeks into sharing a room with William Poindexter, one of his teammates found out about his insta for the first time. It wasn’t that he’d been hiding it. He was pretty sure Ford wouldn’t have batted an eye after years in theater. Holster would have chirped him, but not maliciously. It had literally taken all of his willpower to keep from offering to highlight Ransom’s cheekbones. They didn’t need it, but that was probably all it would take to push Holster over the edge and get him to finally make a move.

Out of all the people that he’d considered telling about how he enjoyed wearing makeup, Dex was pretty far down the list. He might have been higher for awhile during the spring of their freshman year, or fall of their sophomore. But they’d been distant lately. So Nursey had taken pains to make sure he only recorded when Dex was in class. Then, one day, there Dex was. Early.

He froze when Dex walked in the door. For Dex’s part, he only paused for a moment. Nursey could see him through the camera output on the screen, glancing over and taking it in for a moment. Putting the pieces together. Nursey wasn’t sure what to expect. What he didn’t expect was Dex being understanding.

“Is this a Nurse only thing?” He’d started moving again almost immediately, so by the time he spoke, he was off to the side at his own desk, no longer in the shot.

It took two tries before Nursey could form words. He wasn’t scared of Dex, even at Dex’s least chill and most unwoke he hadn’t ever been violent towards anyone who didn’t start it. But his brain was having trouble processing the change in frame of reference for the universe. He’d expected…. Something. A chirp. A derisive comment. An eye roll. Something.

“Wh-What do you mean?” Nursey risked a glance over, but Dex was standing near his desk and looking at his books.

“Is this a Nurse only thing? Do you need me to leave? I can work downstairs or at the library….” Dex seemed hesitant, even though he was clearly trying to respect Nursey’s boundaries. 

“Oh, uh. Well, I’m not going to kick you out of the room. It’s your room too.” 

Dex interrupted him with a snort. Which, okay, that was fair. He had said that he’d run Dex out of the room by September. 

“Seriously, bro. It’s chill. I just, I’ve never had anyone around when I did this before.”

Dex looked over and seemed to assess him for a long moment. “It looks good. Those are good colors for you.” He nodded, then picked up a couple of books from his desk and left the room.

Nursey stared after him, mouth gaping. It’s not like he needed Poindexter’s approval or validation. His follower count made it clear that he knew what he was doing and that he looked good doing it. Still, it was nice to hear Dex say it. For Dex to accept him so quickly and easily.

Nursey turned back and gaped at his camera for a moment. He ended up editing most of the interaction out, but he left some in. 

“And that, guys, is my roommate and d-line partner.” He gave the camera a knowing, chill smile and then resumed his planned video.

Dex came in during a few of his other videos after that. Not often, but on occasion. He always kept quiet, gave Nursey a look over and a nod before taking what he needed and leaving the room. Nursey’s followers seemed to love Dex. 

Maybe it was because he’d mentioned in a previous video that he had a crush on a straight boy, but they all seemed convinced that Dex was the boy in question. The day that he checked his comments and saw a flood of requests for him to get Dex to do a “my d-man does my makeup” video, Nursey nearly forgot to breathe. He managed to track the unofficial campaign to a comment on the last video that featured a brief glimpse of Dex.

Winged_Victory: No bf for ‘my bf does my makeup’ but you got a man right there. 

His most vocal followers had immediately latched onto it. Some of them he knew by name. Some he’d interacted with and were makeup artists in their own right. They all seemed to think that what his channel was lacking was a video of Dex trying his best to apply makeup to Nursey’s face. 

After four weeks of being inundated with requests to have Dex try to do his makeup on camera, Nursey finally gave in and brought it up.

* * *

Dex stared blankly at Nursey. Nursey was giving him what was quite possibly the worst pitch ever for why Dex should do his makeup on camera.

“It’s a trend. Lots of makeup artists have a friend or someone try to do their makeup. It’s just a fun thing. And they know you don’t watch my videos or anything, so it’s not like anyone would expect you to be good at it.” Nursey paused and looked back at him for a moment.

When Dex didn’t respond, Nursey seemed to take that as an indication to continue the pitch. “It’s totally chill. They expect you to be bad at it because you’re not into this stuff. It’s probably the schadenfreude of it all, to see me with messed up makeup for a change.” Nursey stopped and rested an arm on the desk between them, overly relaxed as though he’d practiced the position. He probably had.

Dex held up a hand to stop him from launching into more explanations. “You said your followers came up with this idea?”

Nursey shrugged. “Well, like I said, it’s a trend. Lots of makeup artists on insta or youtube do it. They just suggested that you should be the one to do mine.”

Dex took a slow breath in and out. “It just came up? All of a sudden?”

“I guess they maybe want to get a better look at you? IDK, bro. Winged_Victory suggested after you had a lil cameo in one of my shoots a while back and they all latched on like….” He trailed off and made a motion with his hand. 

“Leeches?”

“Nah, bigger?”

“Lampreys?”

“Yeah, them.”

Dex took another moment before replying. “And you want to sacrifice me to them.”

“It’s good. I understand it’s not really your thing. You’ve been chill with me doing it, but I shouldn’t expect you to get out of your comfort zone like that. No worries.”

“I’ll do it.” Dex interrupted Nursey’s backpedalling, which led to a very satisfying look of shock. 

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll do it. Like you said, the worst thing that happens is I make you look like an idiot, right?” Dex smirked at Nursey. “Not today though. I’ve got homework. Maybe a week from Saturday? We’ve got a bye week and I don’t have work for a change.” 

“Great that gives me time to promo.” Nursey was grinning and Dex smiled softly before gesturing back to his laptop. 

“Can I finish my homework now?” 

He watched Nursey leave and then pulled out his phone.

> Me: I didn’t tell you about Nursey’s Instagram so you could stalk and pester him.

> The Better One: Are you sure? You had to realize it would happen.

Dex really should change her contact name to something sensible. It just never seemed worth it, she’d just change it again the next time they were home at the same time.

> Me: So, did he do something in particular to piss you off, or…?

> The Better One: Well, he called my lil bro straight. And underestimated you.

> Me: I have actually been called worse. It’s fine.

> The Better One: You’re gonna show him up and then sweep him off his feet. This counts as me asking you to do makeup for me. You don’t get a say.

> Me: I already figured that when he mentioned your insta as the mastermind. I’m doing it a week Saturday.  
>  Me: The team from MAC will wanna watch too. 

> The Better One: I’m telling all my friends. Go get ‘im, lil bro.

* * *

Dex spent his free time over the next week and change sketching out ideas and looking at color palettes. His coworkers gave some suggestions and tips, generally stuff he already knew, but it didn’t hurt to be reminded. There were a few regular customers and his coworkers were all excited for the video, though more than once he had to correct someone that it was a “d-man does my makeup” not boyfriend. Which led to explanations that he wasn’t Nursey’s boyfriend (why not?), because Nursey didn’t think of him like that, Nursey barely liked him. 

He decided to be fair to the nature of the challenge that he wouldn’t research specifically or watch any of Nursey’s videos. He hadn’t before because he was trying to respect his roommate’s privacy, but he figured that someone who didn’t know about makeup would be trying to learn, so it was fair for him to… not. 

As soon as he woke up on Saturday, he started prepping the room. First, blacking out all potential reflective surfaces with curtains loaned by Ford. Then setting up the webcam and computer so that he could get both him and Nursey in frame while also making sure that only he would have the ability to see the screen of the laptop. 

Nursey came back in just when he was finishing up.

“What are you doing?”

Dex looked at him and blinked slowly before looking back at the set up. “Getting everything ready for your live stream. I mean, you’ll still need to log in, but I should be able to start it once you do.”

“Why all this?” Nursey gestured around.

“Trying to make sure you don’t cheat.”

“Cheat?” Nursey looked both affronted and confused. 

“Pretty sure you’re not supposed to see how it looks until I’m done.” Dex nudged the keyboard towards Nursey. “Sign in and sit down so I can make sure this is framed right.”

“So bossy.” Nursey smirked--but complied. 

Once he had verified the framing, he set up the live stream and the recording software. “Ok, you’re live.”

“Hello my beauty patients! Welcome to a special livestream of Derek_RN, your prescription for beauty. I will not being doing my makeup today, instead, my d-man and roommate, Dex, has agreed to do it for me to quiet the clamouring hordes.” He grinned at the camera and then motioned for Dex to get into the frame, so he did. 

Dex gave a quick wave and then leaned back out. “Hey, N-Derek. Why are you getting a bunch of messages asking about a bet?”

“Oh, chill.” Nursey rolled his lips through his teeth in a way that made Dex suspect that he had wanted to use a different word. “Some of my followers keep trying to get me to agree to a bet with them about this.”

“What’s the bet?”

“They bet that you’ll do a good job.”

Dex stared at Nursey for a moment and then back at the screen. His phone vibrated, but he didn’t have to check to know it was Vicky. “That’s a shitty bet.”

“That’s what I said! A straight white boy who’s never done makeup shouldn’t be forced into meeting certain standards. This is supposed to just be a friendly, no pressure thing.”

Dex waved at hand at him while still watching the messages scroll by. “No, I mean, what are the stakes, how is a winner determined? Me doing a good job is really subjective. Is the determining factor you actually liking how you look? Still subjective, but at least it’s something that can be pinned down. Is it more objective like getting a certain number of likes? They could game that system, but it’s easily quantifiable. And that still doesn’t answer what the terms are. What do you get if I make you look like an idiot? What do they get if I don’t?”

Nursey was quiet again, so Dex looked over at him and he was staring off to the side and fidgeting with a fold in his shirt. 

“Derek? You know they’ll tell me if you don’t.”

“They said that if I like the makeup you do, then I have to take you out to dinner, and if I don’t then they’ll stop bugging me. Unless they decide I’m lying about not liking it, in which case they’ll probably continue to pester me because they are horrible patients. I’m jk. I love you all.” He threw another quick smile at the camera. 

“Wow, Derek. I’m speechless. You must have a lot more confidence in me than you let on.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you really expect me to make you look like an idiot, then that would have been a no-brainer to accept.” 

Nursey looked over at him and his expression looked softer somehow, almost hurt. “Regardless of who I thought would win, it’s not fair to include you in the terms of the bet.”

Dex blinked twice while he processed that. It sounded like Nursey wouldn’t mind taking him out to dinner, just not without his consent on being part of a bet. “Well, I don’t mind. Like you said. I’m probably just going to make you look like an idiot. So. If you’re chill with the possibility of having to take me out, I’ll take the risk. Since apparently you can’t deal with your own followers otherwise.”

“I never said I can’t deal with them. But fine. Like you said, it’s not really a risk anyway.” 

“Great. Now be quiet and close your eyes so I can get started.” 

Dex moved his chair closer and pulled his own makeup case out. Laying on top were a number of cards and he held the first one up in front of the camera.

> Shout out to my sister Vicky, I’ll remember this.

He carefully switched it for the next one to avoid fumbling them.

> Hello to the artists and customers of M-A-C Macy’s Samwell.

He set the cards aside and pulled out some products.

“What are you doing?”

“No cheating. Eyes closed until I say.” 

“How am I supposed to promo the products though?”

“I’ll hold them up to the camera. Plus, it’s recording as well, so you can edit in some promos later for the non-live version.” 

Nursey pouted slightly and Dex tried not to think it was endearing as he held some concealer up to the camera, checking that it focused on the brand name and type. 

He continued in that manner through contouring, foundation, highlighter, blush. He stopped before he held up the eyeshadow palette and instead held up another card.

> How am I doing so far?

He didn’t check the responses, just held up the eyeshadow and started applying it. He wasn’t one to brag, but the way he blended the various shades of pink and the cut crease that he applied was perfect. To use a term that he thought Nursey would apply, it was fire. Then eyeliner, lashes, eyebrows, and finally a soft matte lip.

He sat back and looked at Nursey. “Ok. Open your eyes and look towards the camera.”

Nursey opened his eyes and arched a brow as he did so. “What have you guys done to my roommate? He’s so bossy today.”

“Ayuh. You’re the one who issued the challenge. Close your eyes again. I need to wipe that all off.” 

“What?!” Nursey practically squawked at him. 

“I messed up. Gotta wipe it off and start over.”

“That’s not how the challenge goes.”

“It isn’t? You didn’t put that in the bet that I had to get it right the first time.”

Nursey rolled his eyes, but closed them and allowed Dex to use makeup remover wipes to clean his face off and go through the process again. This time he ended with a dramatic eye blend between black and gold with glitter on top and paired it with a super subtle lip color, but added a high shine gloss to it. 

“Ok. You can look at the camera again.” 

Nursey opened his eyes. “Chill. Where’s a mirror? Or do I get to see my screen now?”

Dex looked at him and pursed his lips. “No. I messed up again. I’ll have to start over.” 

“Since when are you a perfectionist?” Nursey grumbled but he closed his eyes again and Dex wiped the makeup off gently. 

“Since first grade.” He held up another card in front of the camera.

> Couldn’t narrow down what I wanted to do. We’ll see how many he puts up with.

He made sure his face was in view of the camera and smirked before he started the process again. This time he did another black and gold shadow, but with a cut crease of black above the crease and gold and glitter below, then a dark velvety black winged liner.

He held up another card.

> I know. The drama eyes. Have you seen his eyes though?

“You can open your eyes now.”

Nursey opened his eyes and looked over at Dex. “We good this time?” 

Dex heaved a sigh, suppressing a smile. “Nope. I fucked it up again.”

“Maybe give me a mirror? It’s chill that you aren’t perfect at this, really.” 

“No. I owe it to your followers to give them the best chance of winning their bet as possible. I’m willing to keep trying as long as it takes.”

Nursey sighed and closed his eyes so that Dex could wipe the makeup off again. He was really going through the cleaning wipes and would probably need to restock. He was also using the gentlest ones he could find since he’d known he was going to try to get away with multiple faces and didn’t want to dry Nursey out too much. 

He took a seemingly simpler route with this application. No cut crease to the shadow, no winged liner. Just golds and bronze and glitter on the lid blended together to bring out Nursey’s eyes and a thin, steady black liner. Then he took a soft, rich red lip and had to pause and lick his own. Of course, Nursey had kissable lips. Dex had known that. He’d just never thought he’d be this close to them. 

He swallowed thickly and cleared his throat before pushing away slightly. 

“Ok. You can open your eyes again.”

Nursey raised his brows in question.

“Nah. I gotta try again. This is wicked hard.” He blinked slowly and took a deep breath. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he knew that Vicky was texting with a lewd joke.

“You’ve tried four times. I think that’s enough.”

“Last try. Promise. If I don’t get it this time, then you win the bet and can censor your followers.”

Nursey dropped his head and then rolled it back up with his eyes closed. “Chill. Last try.”

Dex grabbed a sharpie and quickly wrote out a new card to hold up.

> Better make it count.

If he’d absolutely had to pick just one face to do, it probably would have been the one he did next. He’d taken a risk not doing it first, but it had worked out. He took a deep breath to center himself and started reapplying makeup. He skipped the blush, this time, letting the set and glow and the contouring do all the work of subtly emphasizing Nursey’s cheekbones. Applying topaz shadow to the top lid and emerald to the bottom, then setting off his eyes even more dramatically by applying a new set of lashes to the top and a partial set to the bottom lids made Nursey’s eyes almost overpowering. He paused briefly before pulling out a black lip paint and glitter.

He sat back and looked Nursey over. His eyes were still closed, having only opened them each time when Dex needed him to for applying the eye makeup and when each look was complete, but he already looked stunning. Dex nodded to himself. 

“Ok. All done.”

Nursey opened his eyes and a practiced, chill, smile slid onto his face. “You good?”

Dex turned the monitor and stood up. “I’ll be ready at eight.”

He didn’t wait for Nursey to respond, or look at his image, or process what had just happened. He left the room, and then the Haus. Some would call it fleeing. Dex called it needing to stretch.

* * *

Nursey stared after Dex. He didn’t make any sense. He’d tried five times trying to get Nursey’s makeup right and then fled before Nursey could even tell him it wasn’t completely terrible. Not only that, but he’d acted like Nursey had lost the bet with his followers. He turned back to the camera, ready to express his shock, but his eyes caught on the monitor and his own face. 

“Chill.” His hand drifted up to touch his cheek. He focused back on the camera. “Was anyone going to tell me that my roommate wasn't straight? Or was I supposed to find that out when he absolutely killed this makeup challenge and then sauntered off after confirming our dinner date?"

A message popped up on the video feed.

> Winged_Victory: I’ve been saying.…

* * *

The room was too dark to be recording and Nursey was only lit by his desk lamp. 

“Hey, beauty patients. It’s me, Derek_RN, your prescription for beauty. As you can see, it’s now one in the morning and my makeup is still going strong. Not a smudge on these lips and I have _tried_ to get it to smudge. I guess I’ll be promoing some MAC cosmetics in the future. If you’re in the area, stop by the counter at Macy’s and my boyfriend can teach you some cool techniques too. Just don’t hit on him.”

“Babe, come back to bed.”

Nursey glanced over into the darkness and back. “Until next time. Stay healthy, stay beautiful.”

He stopped recording and posted the video without editing. He really should take his makeup off before going to sleep, but if he was honest with himself, he just wanted to crawl back into Dex’s arms. So he did. Once he was curled up with Dex wrapped around him, he sighed and nuzzled into his pillow. He’d never expected Dex to be a cuddler, but it had been a day for realizing all his assumptions about Dex were off. 

Dex’s arms squeezed slightly around his waist and he allowed himself to press back against Dex’s chest. It was going to be beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on tumbls at [SexyDexyNurse](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/)
> 
> The makeup looks Dex used are based on these looks by [iamcharityleigh](https://www.instagram.com/iamcharityleigh/):
> 
> [One](https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjuFT5BXwv/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=2ez7hqsk5nk3)  
> [Two](https://www.instagram.com/p/BsE42Epnfd3/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet)  
> [Three](https://www.instagram.com/p/BomVbCWBIkw/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet)  
> [Four](https://www.instagram.com/p/BhMWTjvhwYk/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1g4fejhybxt9m)  
> [Five](https://www.instagram.com/p/BpKY6ANBTtL/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet)


End file.
